subject: Dental Tourism: Mexico [print this page] Dental tourism doesn't involve traveling to far off places for the purpose of seeing disturbingly incredible examples of dental instruments from past centuries; that would fall under historical tourism. No, dental tourism doesn't really have anything to do with the traditional stereotypes associated with tourists. There aren't hoards of Japanese tourists snapping pictures by the millisecond, nor are there traveling packs of backpackers shaking off the dust of the road as they hike their way into the local youth hostel. Dental tourism is simply the act of traveling out of the country for less expensive dental work.
There are two factors driving dental tourism worldwide, the first is cost. In large countries like Canada, the US and Britain, dental services are exceedingly expensive. Even smaller nations have high dental costs, such as Austria, Slovakia and the Republic of Ireland. Residents of the above listed countries often grow frustrated with the high price of crowns, veneers and other procedures, instead choosing to travel overseas for services. Without adequate schooling however, the dental industry would simply implode, as there would be a huge lack of qualified labor in the destination countries.
This brings us to the second factor driving dental tourism: mobility of labour. Under the umbrella of the European Union, dental qualifications are equally transferable to all EU nations. In places where a crown may cost more than $3000USD (Austria), dental patients cross over to Hungary where the same procedure will cost only $1000USD. The crown is the same, the standards of hygiene are the same, and overall the care is the same; the size of the dental bill is really the only difference.
A rudimentary dental bonding procedure may cost only $70 in Mexico, while those that are residents of the USA may find the price to be between $150 to $300, for the same work. An implant with a crown will fetch under $1000 in Mexico but will cost upwards of $3000 in the USA. It is pretty hard to resist those savings when flights and accommodation would still cost less than having the work done in the US. Dental and medical care in major Mexican cities, has been revealed by some to be as good or better, than it is in many US establishments. Ninety percent of those surveyed by the Washington healthcare advocacy group, said medical care in Mexico is excellent.
Mexico is still a developing nation in many ways, but one of the ways the Mexican people are working to develop their nation is by seeking medical and dental training from the best institutions in the world. Afterward they bolster the economy when they bring their expertise home.
